franciscan

I need to make up a new servo three cable plug. I have the small terminals and plug body but need to know the best method to use to attach cables to the terminals. I have a crimping tool but this seems to crush the terminal flat rather than form a proper crimp. Am I using too much force or is there a special technique to do this. Can I solder the terminals instead of crimping. These have to be pushed into the plug body and I do not know what solder tolerance I have available.

ChuckW

Take some of the pins to an electronics supplier and they will likely be able to sell you the correct crimping tool.

You can also solder them but sometimes excess solder can wick up into the wire and make it brittle. This brittle area could potentially break. Be very careful if you solder them.

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

I have this tool. It works perfectly.

http://www.dreamworksrc.com/catalog/...roducts_id=802

da Rock

I'm guessing that you have the stuff that's sold in LHS. The tool is specific to the terminals that're used in our servo plugs. And you can get the empty plugs.

That tool folds the crimp ears back around into the wire. It can't crush them flat unless they're placed into the tool sideways.

The space you'd have for solder would be about identical to the diameter of the wire.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I just took A look at what John uses, nice tool and if John says it works then I'm sure it does. I have never been able to get one to work but I have used different ones. I have so many old servos and servo extension wires i just clip them off and solder them onto the servo wires. I no longer use leads, I just clip and solder on my own extension wire to the length I need or want. I can't make the tools work but I do know how to solder pretty well and make heat shrink tube work. So far I have never had A problem but finding the 16aug wire is getting harder, most hobby shops carry the 22 aug.

JohnW

My Feedback: (6)

Yup, the tool I posted works great. Having crimped countless connections from Mod8 to various fiber connections, I can tell you the key to any crimp type connection is the tool. This one has an adjustable ratchet tension. Once it is set, every crimp gets the same pressure no matter how you squeeze the tool, so perfect every time. The pliers type of crimp tools belong in the dust bin. The one I posted may cost more, but if you plan on making your own extensions etc., it is worth every penny. I can solder pretty good too, and soldering is harder than this tool. Grey, don't sell yourself short, if you've mastered soldering, I'm sure you could easily use this tool just fine.

SabreFlyr

I'm making my first attempts to replace servo plugs and, frankly, I'm having almost no success at all. I'm using a ratcheting crimper from Jameco (HT-225D) which really does seem to be appropriate for the job. However, even with it adjusted to its lowest torque, I've damaged the wire right behind (or, at) the rear crimp 5 out of my first 7 attempts. I'm using plugs from Custom Electronics and following their instructions. I first crimp the front point over the stripped wire, squeezing the crimper until it releases, and then pushing the pin (or, plug) in a little further to crimp over the insulation. Should I not squeeze the crimper until it releases on this back crimp? If not, I'm not sure how I'd remove the pin from the tool without putting some strain on the wire. Can anyone help me figure out what I'm doing wrong?

DMcQuinn

My Feedback: (13)

On my crimping tool, if you look closely in the valley, you will see that it is really two side-by-side crimp areas. One side has a small peak inside the valley. the is used to turn the prongs into the wire. the other side does not have this peak and it is used to wrap the prongs around the insulated part of the wire. So I crimp just the exposed wire portion first (using the side of the tool that has the peak). then I crimp the portion over the insulation.

SabreFlyr

I took a closer look at my crimper. I believe that it's made in reverse of the one recommended (made?) by Custom Electronics. The Custom instructions have you hold the crimper in the left hand and insert the pin and wire from the right. Looking at the jaws of my tool, I don't have a little peak in the valley but the valley on the right side is shallower than the valley on the left. I had been crimping the rear crimp in the shallower valley. Now, holding the tool in my right hand and inserting from the left, everything's in correct order and I got three good crimps in a row (unfortunately, in the wrong order! [:@]. Okay,...if I want to cross the signal to the ground wire ). Oh, well. Practice makes perfect (I hope!).

Any suggestions on how to get the pins pushed all of the way into the housings? I had to use hemostats to pull the pins all of the way in. I didn't mangle them too bad; they were still usable. However, that won't work with the female pins.

DMcQuinn

My Feedback: (13)

If the pins won't slide in to the plastic plug, usually it is because the insulation bulges out just beyond where it is crimped. I use an exacto knife to trim this insulation away and then the pins should snap into place without having to pull them.